Tape hoist and tensioning device



Jan. 20, 1942.

F. w. COFFING 70,271 TAPE HOIST AND TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Aug. 4, 1939v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4% iii? 55 54 mvmon 55 55 fZEDR/CK m (or/Wm: W/ BY 52X I Meg Jan. 20, 1942. F. w. COFFING TAPE HOIST AND TENSIONING DEVICE IFiled Aug. 4, 1939 EH1. B

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -FII1.

Fmsm/m W, ('dFF/IYG'.

A ORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a device capable of operation as a hoist,cable or fence slack eliminator or the like. i

The chief object of this invention is to provide sucha device which isrelatively simple in character, having but few parts and these ofcomparatively light weight but of sufficient strength, and which deviceis easily operable.

Broadly expressed, the device is a step-by-step ratchet operable devicewhich is capable of being locked in the desired cable or fencetensioning or load sustaining position and which when released can beoperated for tension release or load 10W- ering. v

The chief feature of the device consists in the tape type element andmagazine therefor.

A further feature of the invention consistsin the provision of means forinsuring a tru scroll type rewinding of the tape if of metal strip formand the non-conical, lateral or non-binding rewind actuation.

A further feature of the invention consists in the several support andhandle features for facilitating the support and operation of thedevice.

Other objects and features of the invention will be understood fromtheaccompanying drawings and the followin description and claims:

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of a tape hoist, themovable anchor member bein shown in section.

Fig. 2 is substantially a central sectional view of such a hoist,thetape guide and throat and stationary ends being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an inside elevational view of the handle, a portion beingshown in flever handle position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the handle, the dotted lines indicating aportion of the handle in crank handle position.

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view through the main shaft, spool andmetal tape illustrating the anchorage connections therebetween.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a support addition for the hoist.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a brake structure associated with the spool.

.In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, l and H indicate half housings whichtogether rotatably support shaft I! in aligned bearings l3 and (.4respectively. These housings are secured together as at l and IS. Thelatter, see Fig. 2, in chamber I! in the housing provides a spindle uponwhich pivots the load holding pawl 18 normally constrained into loadholding position by spring I9.

This pawl carries a pin 2|] that extends be.- yond chamber I! througharcuate slot 2| in the housing member ID. Adjacent said slot and pivotedat 22 on the housing member I0 is a latch member 23 having a cam face24, seat 25 and lateral finger engageable portion 26, the operation andpurpose of which will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

Within chamber H is a metal tape winding and storing spool having thehub portion 21 and side plates or flanges 28 oppositely relieved attheir adjacent interior edges as at 29. This spool is secured to shaftl2 by rivet 30. To the exterior lefthand face, see Fig. 2, of the spoolas by rivets 3| is secured a ratchet wheel 32, the toothed peripherybeing aligned with load holding pawl I8 as shown, the latter beingconstrained into engagement with said ratchet by spring I9 anchored at19a.

When member 23 is positioned as shown in Fig, 1, the pawl, due to slot2| being elongated, can pivot in the counterclockwise rotation of the adjacent ratchet. When reverse movement of this ratchet is desired forrapid paying out of the tape, hereinafter to be described, the member 23will be tilted counterclockwise. Cam 24 engages pin which tilts pawl 18clockwise out of ratchet engagement position and the pawl is held inthis position when the seat 25 engages the pin 20.

The teeth of the ratchet and face of the pawl may have cooperating facesof locking draft character, as shown, that is, to elevate the pawl fromthe root tooth seating, the ratchet must be advanced slightly-movedcounterclockwise, see Fig. 1.

The extensible flexible member 33 is herein illustrated as a metallictape, such as a strip of spring steel. The spool, reel or wheel isslotted as .at 34see Fig. 5. This slot in length is the width of thetape and the end 35 thereofsee Fig. 5- seated in the slot is aperturedat 36. A reenforcement 35a in the form of a short length of tape metalis also apertured at 36a and is seatable in the slot 34. Its other endis curved as at thus tends to prevent tape breakage.

of the extensions.

tape member ends in abutting relation.

At one end of the housing is bearing 3'Isee Figs. 1 and 2in which ismounted portion 38 or stem of a snap hook 39 having the spring pressedretainer portion 49. The swivel axissee Fig. 1is offset from the planeof the axis of the shaft l2.

Both housing members at the end opposite bearing 31 and in alignmenttherewith, are extended as at Illa and I la to form an extension forfeeding tape onto spool 21. This guide and extension is very importantas the tape cannot be used without this guide to balance the hoist whenpulling on the lever or winding on the crank.

The mouth of the throat structure is of peculiar formation, which mouthin addition to relief 29 on the spool insures true scroll winding of thetape, that is, prevents twisting thereof as well as plate riding. Themouth serves a a tape cleaner.

45 which is substantially in alignment with the axis of bearing 31. Anangular member 46 closes as at 41 the lower ends of the shorter portionsThe face 48 of member 46 abuts face 45 and the parts are securedtogether at opposite ends as at 49. This face 48 is slotted or recesseda at 50 to provide a tape slide and guide with portion 44, or moreparticularly, face 45 thereof. This elongated mouth structure not onlyserves as a tape cleaner but a guide for the tape in the winding andunwinding thereof.

The housings may be made of aluminum alloy and the angle mouth of steel,suitably treated to resist rusting. The tape as shown is of spring steelapproximately wide and 0.012 more or less in thickness and having atensile strength of 2,500 lbs.

To further insure proper tape action and also prevent tape breaking atits spool anchorage, there is provided one or more spool frictionsprings-see Figs. and '7. Herein, two diametrically positioned springsare illustratedsee Figs. 2, 5 and 7. Herein, the numeral I38 indicates ahousing supported unit or the like, which anchors one end l3l of aspring strip, olfset intermediate its ends as at I32 toposition portionI33 adjacent and in contact with the adjacent face 28 of the spool. Thefree end may be relieved as at I34, if desired.

The free end of the tape is connected to a suitable anchoring membersuch as a snap hook similar or identical to that illustrated in theupper portions of Figs. 1 and 2. The swivel portion thereof is swivablysupported in a bearingnot shown-in a socket structure, only the upperportion of which is illustrated in the lower portion of Fig. 1. It is oftwo-piece character suitably secured together by means not shown. Thissocket structure 51 at its up er end is apertured a at 52 to form acylindrical portion 53.

The free end of the tape 33 passes through aperture 52 and laps theadjacent portion of the tape as shown. A short section 54 of tapematerial, or the like, U-shaped in section, embraces the aperturereceived and cylindrical mounted tape end. Two chain link or the likeside plates 55, having apertures 56-see Fig. 2at opposite ends and tapewidth apart, are riveted together as at 51 with the tape end, tape, andU-shaped This constitutes the connection at the lower end of the tape.

It is apparent that each of the hooks may swivel and that the socket andtape have a rotational connection. Hence, the hoist body may be heldstationary, a it were, upon its longitudinal axis even though the hook,or hooks, are required to turn, et cetera.

Reference now will be had to Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, for an explanationof the tape winding, load tensioning, or load elevating mechanism.

Shaft I 2 projects beyond housing member H and on the extended end l2ais keyed or otherwise suitably secured thereto as at 62, a ratchet 60.The number of teeth in ratchets l8 and 68 are the same as hereinillustrated. A sleeve portion 6| constitutes a hub on said ratchet andforms a bearing, for the handle structure.

The handle structure includes a cup-like chamber forming portion 63-seeFig. 2from which coaxially extends portion 64 which rides on bearing 6|.A washer 65 pinned or otherwise secured as at 66 to shaft end l2a,retains the handle structure onto lifting ratchet bearing hub and inoperative position.

The cup-like chamber forming portion 63 includes a channel sectionedelongated extension 6'! having a slight offset at Elev-see Fig. 2. Anangular member 68 secured as at 69-see Fig. 3- to this extension formsan offset housing. Portion 68a is apertured at T0 to slidably supportrod H.

Pivoted on rivet and shaft 12 in this offset housing is pawl 13 arrangedfor engagement with ratchet wheel 60, being normally constrained towardssuch engagement by spring 14. The adjacent end 15 of rod H is ofisetseeFig. 4and is pivotally connected to the pawl as at 16, the latter beingrelieved as at H to accommodate same and the rod and thus permit shaftlength to be kept to a minimum.

Near the free end of the handle, there is provided spaced ears 88 whichcarry pin 89 pivotally supporting angle shaped lever 90 to which, as at9|, rod II is connected. The handle extension 81 is apertured as at 92between the ears and therethrough extends the lever 90,- the offsetportion 93 lying adjacent the extension 61 and constituting a thumbactuatable portion. When portion 93 is depressed from portion 61, pawl13 is withdrawn from engagement with the teeth of ratchet 60 and thehandle structure is freed relative to the previou shaft connectionthrough said pawl.

This handle structure may be of dual character, as illustrated. It maybe of lever type, or crank type, as desired. When the device can bereadily actuated as for initial tensioning of a fence, or taking up thetape immediately prior thereto, the parts may be positioned as shown bythe dotted lines in Fig. 4 and the handle. used as a crank and rapidlyrotated until the crank operation has a tendency to be resisted or totwist the device upon its longitudinal axis. Then the handle end of thestructure is positioned as shown by the full lines in Figs. 3 and 4 andit is used as a lever. Of course, the lever arrangement can be rotatedwhen desired, just as the crank arrangement can be oscillated. In otherwords, the handle structure may be oscillated or rotated as desired andwhen the handle end is lever arranged or crank arranged, although whenlever arranged (aligned) an increase in lever arm results.

Briefly, this changeable end structure of the handle includes portion 94providing two tubular portions 95 and 96 at right angles and openingoutwardly. Adjacent inner walls thereof are slotted as at .91. These maybe provided with extensionsremote from the outer ends and angular, ifdesired, for bayonet seat formation.

A tubular hand grip portion 08- is reduced as at 99 providing shoulder Iwhich when portion 99 is seated in portion 95 or 98-see Figs. 3 and i-bears against the end IOI thereof. The reduced portion 99 carries pinI02 that seats in the slot 91 of the socket in which the grip portion ismounted.

A pin I03 extends through the hand grip portion near its outer end. Apin I04 extends through the socketed portions 95 and 98 where samecommunicate with each other and registers with the axial intersectionthereof. A spring I05 is secured at opposite ends to pins I03 and" I04.Thus, when pin' I02 is seated in slots 91, spring I05 holds pin I02 inslots S'I and prevents the hand grip 98 from turning to prevent twistingspring I05 in two. I

Reference now will be had to Fig. 6. In this figure shaft H2" isextended beyond housing IIO and is annularly grooved as at IIZbintermediate its end and the housing. A hand grip or knob I06 includeshub portion I08a that is rotatable on said shaft extension and carries ac'apscrew I01 or the likeseatable in thegroove I I2b. A projecting pinI08 is carried thereby sothat when this hand grip is used for devicesteadying purpose, rotation o'f'the grip in one direction relative tohoist body will cause pin I08 to engage the finger piece portion I26 andlock pin I20" for pawl lockout purposes. When the grip is'reverselyrotated, pin I08 will unlock said pin I20 from the member I23 and returnthe latter to the released position permitting th inside pawl toreengagethe ginside ratchet.

When the inside pawl I8--see Fig, 1--is held out of inside ratchetengagement by cam 24 and the handle pawl I3 isheld out of outsideratchet engagement, the tape may be freely extended the desired length.Also, if desired, and in some instances when a tape tension device isproperly provided or an automatic rewind be provided, such pawl releasethen will permit the tape to automatically rewind upon the spool if thetape then be under no load or tension. Such automatic rewind mechanismis for simplicity, not illustrated herein.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrativeand not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a hoist, the combination of a magazine type housing, a unitaryshaft extending across the magazine and projecting through one sidethereof, an anchoring member at one end of the housing, a tubularextension directed oppositely therefrom, the anchoring member andextension having a common alignment offset from the axis of the shaft, atape reel carried by said shaft, a tape secured at one end to said reeland windable thereon and unwindable therefrom, throat means at the endof said tubular extension and operatively associated with the tape forguidance,

alignment and clearance purposes, a ratchetrigid with the shaft, a pawl,yielding means normally constraining the pawl toward ratchet engagementfor tape tensioning, means for rotating the shaft for tape tensioning,housing exposed means overcoming, when manually operable, the constraintimposed by the yielding means for removing the pawl from ratchetengagement for permitting paying-out of the tape from the magazine, themeans for rotating the shaft for tape tensioning, including a ratchetcarried by the shaft externally of the magazine and on the projectingend of said shaft, a handle rotatably mounted on said projecting end ofsaid shaft and in juxtaposition to said ratchet and including a pawlconstrained to last mentioned ratchet engagement, and means terminatingadjacent the outer end of the handle and arranged for handle pawlratchet disengagement in opposition to the constraint upon the handlepawl, the free end of said handle terminating in a tubular structureincluding transversely arranged tubular sockets and a single memberselectively seatable in either of said sockets and normally constrainedtoward seating engagement therein and having an interlocking connectiontherewith when in either of the sockets for forming a crank structure ora lever extension structure.

2. In a hoist, the combination of a magazine type housing, a unitaryshaft extendingacross the magazine and. projecting through one sidethereof, an anchoring member at one end of the housing, a tubularextension directed oppositely therefrom, the anchoring member andextension having a common alignment offset from the axis of the shaft, atape reel carried by said shaft, a tape secured at one end to said reeland windable thereon and unwindable therefrom, throat means at the endof said. tubular extension and operatively associated with the tape forguidance, alignment and clearance purposes, a ratchet rigid with theshaft, a pawl, yielding means normally constraining the pawl towardratchet engagement for tape tensioning, means for rotating the shaft fortape tensioning, housing exposed means overcoming, when manuallyoperable, the constraint imposed by the yielding means for removing thepawl from ratchet engagement for permitting paying-out of the tape fromthe magazine, and a hand grip portion operatively carried by the shaft,the latter portion being rotatable relative to the shaft and includingmeans for cooperation with the manually operable means in the rotationof the hand grip and for hoist control through the first mentioned pawl.

3. In a hoist, the combination of a magazine type housing, a unitaryshaft extending across the magazine and projecting through one sidethereof, an anchoring member at one end of the housing, a tubularextension directed oppositely therefrom, the anchoring member andextension having a common alignment offset from the axis of the shaft, atape reel carried by said shaft, a tape secured at one end to said reeland windab-le thereon and unwindable therefrom, throat means at the endof said tubular extension and operatively associated with the tape forguidance, alignment and clearance purposes, a ratchet rigid with theshaft, a pawl, yielding means normally constraining the pawl towardratchet engagement for tape tensioning, means for rotating the shaft fortape tensioning, housing exposed means overcoming, when manuallyoperable, the constraint imposed by the yielding means for removing thepawl from ratchet engagement for permitting paying-out of the tap fromthe magazine, and a hand grip portion operatively carried by the shaft,the shaft being rotatable relativeto the hand grip portion, and handgrip actuatedmeans for cooperation with the manually operable means inthe rotation of the hand grip for hoist control, the manually operablemeans having an exposed portion eccentric of the shaft axis and a latchpivotally mounted adjacent the shaft axis and in juxtaposition to theexposed portion of the'manually operable means and the hand gripactuated means for operation of the latch by the hand grip actuatedmeans. Y

4. In a hoist, the combination of a magazine type housing, a unitaryshaft extending across the magazine and projecting through one sidethereof, an anchoring member at one end of the housing, a tubularextension directed oppositely therefrom, the anchoring member andextension having a common alignment offset from the axis of the shaft, atape reel carried by said shaft a tape secured at one end to said reeland windable thereon and unwindable therefrom, throat means at the endof said tubular extension and operatively associated with the tape forguidance, alignment and clearance purposes, a

ratchet rigid with the shaft, a pawl, yielding means normallyconstraining the pawl toward ratchet engagement for tape tensioning,means for rotating the shaft for tape tensioning, housing exposed meansovercoming, when manually.

operable, the constraint imposed by the yielding means for removing thepawl from ratchet engagement for permitting paying-out of the tape fromthe magazine, a hand grip portion operatively carried by the shaft, thelatter portion proper unwinding of the tape from the reel and tensionwinding of the tape upon the reel.

5. In a hoist, the combination of a magazine type housing, a unitaryshaft extending across the magazine and projecting through one sidethereof, an anchoring member at one end of the housing, a tubularextension directed oppositely therefrom, the anchoring member andextension having a common alignment offset from the axis of the shaft, atape reel carried by said shaft, a tape secured at one end to said reeland windable thereon and unwindable therefrom, throat means at the endof said tubular extension and operatively associated with the tape forguidance, alignment and clearance purposes, a ratchet rigid with theshaft, a pawl, yielding means normally constraining the pawl towardratchet engagement for tape tensioning, means for rotating the shaft fortape tensioning, housing exposed means overcoming, when manuallyoperable, the constraint imposed by the yielding means for removing thepawl from ratchet engagement for permitting paying-out of the tape fromthe magazine, a hand gripportion operatively carried by the shaft, theshaft being rotatable relative to the hand grip portion, hand gripactuated means for cooperation with the manually operable means in therotation of the hand grip for hoist control, the manually operable meanshaving an exposed portion eccentric of the shaft axis and a latchpivotally mounted adjacent the shaft axis and in juxtaposition to theexposed portion of the manually operable means and the hand gripactuated means for operation of the latch by the hand grip actuatedmeans, and friction means interposed between the magazine type housingand the reel to insure proper unwinding of the tape from the reel andthe tension winding of the tape upon the reel.

FREDRICK W. COFFING.

